


The Woods

by AsagiStilinski



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Hermit Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Magic!Stiles, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Witch Stiles Stilinski, sterekfairytale, sterekweek2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 03:38:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8385724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagiStilinski/pseuds/AsagiStilinski
Summary: "You don't have to be afraid of me you know," he commented absently, observing the tension in the wolf's body
"You and I are the same, a wolf and a witch, both hated by humans, I'm on your side here ok?"
He had a point, they had alot of enemies in the human world and as much as the wolf didn't trust strangers he knew he would be better off atleast trying to be civil to one of his own kind- ... well... ish....
"I'm Stiles," the witch said, holding his hand out as a sign of ... peace? Freindship? The wolf wasn't sure...
"Derek," he finally said, shaking the other's hand





	

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: I actually write original fairytales as a large part of my professional writing career, and yet... this theme gave me so much hell... I wanted to rewrite this one again but didn't have time so... here's what's left ^^; It was inspired by this AMAZING gifset http://master-nikoli.tumblr.com/post/149668447258/prettiestcaptain-stiles-lives-a-solitary wich I'm very much in love with and wish I could have done better by

_Once upon a time, there lived a boy_

_He was a fragile, broken thing, made up of anger and fear, who had been destroyed by the cruelty and unfairness in the world, ripped away from everything that meant anything to him_

_And in his fear for the only family he had left, he left the world he was born into and went into the woods, where he lives to this day, merely a creature of the forest_

This is a story the wolf heard in passing

_Once upon a time, there lived a wolf_

_He was a fragile, broken thing, made up of greif and fear, who had been burned alive by the cruelty and unfairness in the world, everything that meant anything to him having been ripped away_

_And in his greif for the family that had been taken from him, he left the world he was born into, and went into the woods, where he lives to this day, merely a creature of the forest_

This is a story the boy heard through the trees

~+~

_"'Fee fi fo fum,' said the giant, 'I smell the blood of an English one-'"_

The boy paused, sucking on his lip as his nife stopped half-way through the carrot he was chopping

"Do you think it's really 'English ONE'? I always wondered if it might be 'English MAN' like, you know 'English MUN', because of the accent? I always thought that might make a little bit more sense,"

He didn't expect a response, after all if the mouse sitting in front of him on the windowsill started talking they were going to have a much bigger problem

He heaved a quiet sigh, raking the cutting board full of carrots into the pot of stew and reaching over to gently pet the mouse

"You know, I wish you could talk, I mean I guess I could always MAKE you talk but I don't know, that might scare you you know? And what of intellegence? If I made you capable of speech would you actually be able to hold a conversation or would it be mostly, you know, like, 'cheese, cat, cheese' all the time?"

He had been alone for months now- a year? Maybe, he wasn't sure- and had mostly gotten used to it, but the loneliness was still stronger than ever during dinner

Some nights he wondered why he even bothered eating at all, tonight was one of them

But he couldn't ignore the rumbling in his stomach so he finished the stew, glancing at the mouse across the table and smiling as he reached out to pat the little creature on the head

The animals were his only freinds out here so he tended to really treasure them, even feeding any who came close enough, and this little mouse actually lived with him so there was a special fondness there for his pseudo "roommate"

"Ok, moonrise, time to go," he said with a small sigh, picking up the little mouse and carrying the creature carefully as he picked up his equipment

It was time to make an offering to the Goddess, not his favorite part of the evening but then again, considering his favorite part was sleeping, he supposed he had nothing to complain about

Stepping outside, he carefully set the mouse down on a tree stump not far away and backed up, seeing that the other animals who usually gathered for the offering were already there meant that he was right on schedule

Stepping back several feet, he picked up his instrument, carefully tucking the violin in place and breathing deeply before pressing the bow against the strings and beginning to play

People had such a misconception when it came to the idea of offerings and what witches gave when they prayed, always assuming it was something like blood or animal sacrifice

But the Goddess didn't want death and pain, she wanted life and beauty, and the gift of music was exactly the sort of thing that witches often used to pray with

Each night the witch came outside at the same time and played his violin for all who would listen, offering his music to the Gods and Goddesses in the hopes of being given strength in his magic in return

He closed his eyes, taking a breath as he moved to the sound of the music, his body swaying and his feet taking gracefull, carefull steps as he played for no one but himself, the animals, and the night sky

He played for what felt like hours, immersed in his own world, in his own music, where everything felt good and at peace and safe, where all of the pain and frustration of the rest of the world was completely gone...

When he opened his eyes, he crashed back down to reality, swallowing tightly at the sudden rush of falling back into the pain he had been in for so long now

But it was nothing unusual, that happened every night pretty much

However, there WAS something strange about when he opened his eyes this time, something... off...

"Hello?" he called, his heartbeat starting to pick up as he looked around anxiously for whatever was causing this strange sensation

But sickeningly enough, he saw nothing....

~+~

When the wolf got back to the little cave he called a den, he became strangely and suddenly unsure of what to do

It wasn't like him to invade people's personal space or private territory and yet he had gone straight to the witch's cabin the moment he heard music playing

He had had his suspicions when he first came out here that there was another person living in the woods but until now he hadn't tried to seek them out

He knew the need for personal space and quite honestly he had no desire to interact with people anyway, not after how people had treated him

And if someone was living in the woods, there had to be a reason for that, he knew that from his own experience...

But the music was beautifull, the violenist was stunning, and the wolf was utterly drawn in

He tried to put it out of his head, but he couldn't help thinking about it considering how little there was to think about- how few good things there were here- out in the woods

And he knew that he really shouldn't be trying to get close to people...

But that didn't stop him from going back the next night

Or the night after that

Or the night after that

Or the night after that

And before he knew it he had made a habbit out of going to see the violenist every night for a month

He couldn't help but feeling entranced by the musician and it was definately his favorite part of every evening, what he looked forward to more than anything else

It had become such a habbit, in fact, that when the full moon came he didn't hesitate to head off to see the magician just as he did every other night

Full moons were usually spent alone, he couldn't remember the last time he had actually spent one around another person, but somehow he wasn't bothered at all by or even questioning why he was going to spend part of his full moon listening to the violenist, it was just one of those things that simply... was....

It didn't need to be questioned or thought over

Even though it would have been under any other circumstances

The problem was, it was exactly that lack of thinking that ultimately put a stop to his somewhat secret violinist watching...

~+~

It was the wolf

It was that same wolf that had been watching him for a month now

And it wasn't that he had a PROBLEM with wolves- he didn't, he liked them, and in fact he happened to favor them over most predators, but it was just... weird....

The wolf seemed somehow even more aware than the other animals and he had just sort of come out of nowhere and...

And the witch was suspicious, ok?

It just seemed odd

So when the full moon came around and the wolf still showed up to listen to him play instead of running with a pack beneath the moon, the witch decided to take the opportunity to see if there was any solid reason for his suspicions

With a simple cloaking spell he followed the wolf deep into the forest, carefull to avoid being noticed at any and all costs

He was a little surprised at just how deep into the forest the wolf lived, and found himself feeling a little... sad... when they got to the lonely little hole in the ground that the wolf seemed to call a den

Even sadder was when he realized that he was looking at no ordinary wolf, but a werewolf

A werewolf who lived in a tiny den...

He could see that there were beginnings for a cabin getting built, sme logs strewn about and a few tools laying around, but it hadn't gotten very far

Watching as the wolf- now a man- slipped into his den and tried to shut out the world, the witch was almost tempted to confront him

But it was too soon and too weird and ultimately he decided it would probably be better to wait, atleast, just for a day...

~+~

The next night was different

Instead of leaving when the violenist was done with his song the wolf was instead stopped, the violenist making a point to approach him the second the music had ended

"It looks like rain," he observed, glancing breifly up at the sky before turning his attention back down to the wolf

"Want to come inside? And don't pretend you don't understand me, I know you're a werewolf,"

The wolf tensed, not sure what to make of that revelation, but it seemed that the witch didn't particuarly care and just turned on his heel, walking back towards the cabin a few yards away and not even bothering to look over his shoulder and check if the wolf was following

So, recognizing that it really did seem to be his choice, he followed slowly behind, making sure to survey the area and keep his eyes peeled for any potential dangers, any sign that he was being tricked or trapped or hunted

But everything seemed somehow... normal... and when they reached the cabin, the wolf was pleasantly surprised to find that the house wreaked of magic, he could feel the magic flowing around him, as if the cabin it's self was enchanted, and that really put him at ease

After all, a hunter or a human who would want to harm him wouldn't have magic woven into their dwelling

"You can shift into your human form if it makes you more comfortable, if not that's fine too, I don't mind talking to a wolf, I mean I only ever talk to animals these days anyway and atleast I know you can understand me,"

With only a moment of hesitance the wolf followed him inside, immediately relishing in the warmth and comfort that the cabin brought

He watched the witch shut the door behind him and start towards what looked like the kitchen, and, deciding now was as good a time as any, he took a deep breath and began the process of shapeshifting, a practice he had more or less perfected over his lifetime

The shift was easy, but finding himself suddenly human again in a stranger's house... that was intimidating...

"You can borrow some pants if you'd like," The witch commented from the kitchen

"You can find them in the top dresser drawer of my bedroom"

The wolf pursed his lips, wrinkling his nose in distaste

It seemed more than just a little odd to invite strangers into your home, let them have your clothes, and even let them go and find said clothes- in your private quarters- by themselves...

But then again the witch was a strange person so he supposed it wasn't all that unusual in comparison...

Following the steps as they had been laid out, he easily came across a pair of pants to put on, unable to shake this terrible anxious feeling as he walked back out into the main room, especially once he ran into the witch there

"You don't have to be afraid of me you know," he commented absently, observing the tension in the wolf's body

"You and I are the same, a wolf and a witch, both hated by humans, I'm on your side here ok?"

He had a point, they had alot of enemies in the human world and as much as the wolf didn't trust strangers he knew he would be better off atleast trying to be civil to one of his own kind- ... well... ish....

"I'm Stiles," the witch said, holding his hand out as a sign of ... peace? Freindship? The wolf wasn't sure...

"Derek," he finally said, shaking the other's hand

This seemed to please Stiles, given that he smiled a little bit wider in Derek's direction before finally pulling away and heading back towards the kitchen

"I saw that ditch you live in by the way, I ... may have tracked you down last night out of suspicion, anyway, I don't think it's really acceptable for any creature to live there but especially not .... you know... YOU,"

"Thanks for the critique, sorry I haven't been able to build it quite up to par yet," he huffed

"No no, that- ... that isn't what I mean," Stiles sighed, fidgeting a little as he started working again on the food

"I meant that I can't stand knowing you live in a hole, you should live somewhere better, that's all, I mean, I know you're trying to make some kind of cabin but..."

"And where would you suggest this better please be hm? Here?"

"Sure, if you want,"

Derek blinked, taken aback by the other's sudden agreement, he had only been joking when he suggested that and he didn't really think Stiles had thought it through considering how ... casually it was spoken

"I'm a stranger, you're going to just let a stranger live in your home for no reason?"

"You've been coming to hear me play for over a full moon cycle now, you don't FEEL like a stranger, besides, like I said, we're on the same side," he shrugged back

He would never have done something so reckless before, he didn't trust people, as a general rule, especially people he didn't know, but....

But he was just getting so tired of talking to rats and being alone, he couldn't go back to the village and see his father, he was all alone out here, even if Derek WAS evil or planning to kill him or something, why fight it? What was the point in living at this point anyway if he was destined to be eternally alone?

It was better to take a chance, take a risk at some form of happiness, than keep going along this same road of solitude for eternity....

"Alright," he said slowly, swallowing and rubbing the back of his neck

"I guess it can't be worse than the den,"

"My home making skills appreciate that," Stiles said with a teasing eyeroll, and Derek kind of couldn't help but chuckle at that

Somehow, against all possible odds, Derek had a feeling that he and Stiles were going to get along swimmingly

~+~

Two months later the wolf and the witch were still living together

Somehow things were actually working out, they didn't quite know how but they were

Every night Stiles went out and played music for the moon

Every night Derek shifted into a wolf and watched him, listening to the soft melodies he played

Every night they got to know eachother just a little bit better by sharing those moments together- not to mention the other things they shared throughout the typical day

They shared everything with eachother, some by necessity- such as food and time- and others by full power of free will- such as information and stories

And for the first time in the longest time both the wolf and the witch really started to feel like... like people again

Not so much like outsiders, not so much like outcasts, but just like ... real people...

And for the first time in ages and ages, they started to feel happy again too

And neither of them could remember the last time THAT had happened

Ofcourse, as is nature, the simplicity didn't last forever

"Where do you go every day?"

Derek glanced up, setting the logs down in front of Stiles and frowning at him

"I mean, it doesn't matter, it really isn't any of my business, but I still can't help but wondering... you leave every evening not long before dinner, stay out a little wile and sometimes bring back fire wood, sometimes don't, always back by dinner... I'm just curious, you don't have to answer," the witch shrugged

Derek took a deep breath, shoulders sagging slightly and looking down at the ground

"I didn't always live in the woods," Derek shrugged back, starting to walk towards the house

And... ok, that was a fair enough point

Stiles thought at first that Derek was done with the conversation, but once he followed him inside, he found out that wasn't the case

"I used to live in the village... so... sometimes I like to go to the edge of the woods, watch... check in... just see what things are like, how they're going,"

The witch's shoulders sagged, eyes downcast as he stood in front of the wolf, he understood

He understood more than he really wanted to admit

Because he had lived in the village too in the beginning, up until he came out here, but unlike Derek, who wanted to keep those memories and keep that part of himself, Stiles just wanted to be rid of it

He had no interest in aching over the ghosts of his past and he felt that the more he could distance himself from those times, the less he would hurt

"What happened?" he asked quietly, curiously, moving to sit down on the couch, the food could cook a little longer, it wouldn't hurt it

"What?"

"I mean... why did you move out here to the woods? I have to imagine it wasn't willing and it wasn't planned, considering your ... less than liveable den,"

Derek narrowed his eyes, clearly not appreciating the terrible den reference (again) but ultimately decided not to hold back

After all, in the two months they had been living together the two of them had become quite close, if he couldn't talk to Stiles about this, he couldn't talk to anyone, and honestly...

He really needed to talk to someone...

"My family was burned to death in a fire a few months ago," he said slowly

"A hunter... she ... it's my fault, I was manipulated by a hunter and told her everything, the next day my house went up in flames and suddenly the entire village knew what I was... I ran before I could be chased out,"

Stiles felt his heart sink, fingers twitching and swallowing roughly as he walked closer to the other male

"I'm sorry," he breathed, wich, really, was putting it mildly, Stiles knew loss, he knew it intimately, but that?

That was just.... another circle of hell entirely, and honestly he wasn't sure how Derek was still breathing with that kind of greif hanging over his head...

"Derek listen... I don't know the circumstances of what happened, obviously, but... if you were manipulated by a hunter, why are you saying it was your fault?"

"Because it was," he said quickly, closing his eyes and hanging his head

"I never should have been lured in like that, I never should have told her ANYTHING and I... I just should have been smarter, I should have been more... mature, less naive, I shouldn't have been so trusting and stupid and-"

"Stop," Stiles interrupted

"Derek please I... it isn't your fault, and I know I can't just... magically convince you of that, I know what blame feels like, what guilt feels like, and it isn't.... it isn't something that can just be pushed aside or banished away, I know that, trust me... but... you shouldn't blame yourself, for what it's worth, it isn't your fault,"

Derek looked down, swallowing tightly and looking down at the floor

"How could you know?" he asked quietly, not glancing up at Stiles again for the time being

"How could you know what this kind of guilt feels like?"

"Because I've felt it before, because I didn't always live out here either,"

Derek looked up in surprise, not that he was surprised Stiles hadn't always lived in the woods but... well... he supposed maybe he didn't really know why he was surprised honestly...

"I'm sorry," he said quietly

He didn't need to know what had happened for Stiles to end up out here, he knew whatever it was couldn't have been good

"It isn't your fault," Stiles shrugged back, heading towards the kitchen to take the pot of stew off of the stove

"My mom died when I was a kid, she was sick... but that isn't how she died,"

"It .. isn't..?" Derek frowned in surprise

After all, dieing of illness was pretty common in this day and age, and if she didn't die of an illness, Derek had a pretty good idea of what she HAD died from....

"You know, when you look at me like that, I can practically read your mind," Stiles mused, grabbing a couple of bowls from the upper cabinet

"I know what you're thinking.... and you're right, she was burned as a witch,"

Derek flinched, he knew all too well what it was like to see your family burn... even though it was in a slightly different context

"Ever since then they've been suspicious of the 'son of the witch', but until recently no one thought male witches were a thing, but once they came to that realization..."

"They started to pursue you," Derek concluded

Stiles nodded, setting the bowls on the table and nodded for Derek to come and sit down

"They threatened to hurt my dad, it was either I leave and they leave him alone, or I stay and they make life hell for my father and accuse him of being a witch's accomplice- wich will get him killed, eventually, I did what I had to do to protect my father,"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Derek frowned sympathetically

"I understand, and I'm sure you did the right thing, if I were in your position I would have done the same," he said honestly, taking a step closer and gently setting a hand on Stiles' shoulder

It was a bit new for them, for as close as they had become, touching was still not something they had experienced much with eachother

"But,"

Stiles glanced up, not having expected Derek to continue

"You have a father, you have a family, I can't let you abandon that, no matter what the threat is, I know what it's like to be without your family- your entire family- and knowing that you still have someone out there.... I can't let you do that, Stiles, I can't let you hurt yourself like this, you may not always have him and-"

"I know that! Derek.... I get it, don't you think I've thought about all this before? I get it, I do, but what the hell do you want me to do huh? Go back there and risk getting my dad killed? He isn't like us, he isn't like ME, he's human, they kill him and-"

"Then we just have to make sure they don't," Derek shrugged back

Stiles swallowed, looking for a moment before glancing back up at him

"You sound like you have a plan,"

Derek nodded slowly, a small grin playing against his lips

"Do you have any plans for Halloween?"

~+~

All Hallow's Eve was a celebrated affair, even by the standard of the rather conservative village

Everyone still dressed in elaborate garb, often with masks or some other disguises, it made for the perfect time to sneak around

Derek had suggested it, early on in the evening before the moon would really have time to get settled in the sky, to put on masks and sneak back into the village so Stiles could see his father

Neither of them quite knew what the plan was going to be for after this night, after seeing Stiles' father once, but they didn't care

They'd figure that part out later, the priority was being able to see him atleast once without being noticed

"You think these are really good enough?" Stiles asked anxiously as he adjusted his mask

"I'm sure of it, humans aren't as observant as you think, and if you're uncertain, just ask the Goddess for help, that's why you always make offerings to her right?"

The witch nodded slowly and gave a tight swallow

Derek had a point, that was why he made offerings to her every night, and even tonight he still planned to play his music after seeing his father...

"Are you ready for this?" Derek asked quietly

Stiles nodded, glancing back up at him

"Yeah... yeah I'm ready," he said quietly, clearing his throat

Derek gave a small smile beneath his mask and reached out, taking Stiles' hand

"Everything is going to work out... it has to,"

Stiles snorted quietly, finding it odd to hear optimism coming from him, after all Derek wasn't typically an optimistic person

"I'll take your word for that Big Bad Wolf," he teased gently, adjusting his mask before giving a quick nod of approval for them to begin their walk through the forest

They wouldn't be recognized, hopefully, how could they be when their costumes were as simple and easy to blend in as cloaks and wooden wolf masks?

They were very popular at the time and they were also good at covering pretty much the entire body, and especially most of the face

He just hoped they could pull this off...

"There's the house," he said quietly, nodding towards the house he used to live in, and hopefully, where his father was still residing

"I'll stand outside and keep guard," Derek promised, receiving an agreeable nod for his efforts as Stiles stepped closer, heart pounding

They seemed to be blending in alright, their costumes were fairly non-conspicuous and no one had called them out or anything but... he was still nervous, especially about seeing his father for the first time in so long after essentially disappearing on him

Taking a deep breath, Stiles slipped into the house, his heart pounding as he slowly shut the door behind him

"If you're here to kill me, do it now, don't make me get any older waiting on you,"

Hearing his father's voice after so long ... it was ... more overwelming than he could have imagined

"Dad?" he called quietly, voice breaking as he watched his father's back stiffen, slowly turning around

The man slowly turned around, face pale and a look of shock clearly evident on his features

"....Stiles?" he breathed, getting up and nocking his chair over as the older man made his way closer towards his son

"Is... is that you?"

He swallowed, nodding slowly as he shakily removed his mask, rubbing his eyes before the tears could start

"I don't ... why should I believe you? My son hasn't been here in months, why would he come back now? How do I know this isn't... an illusion or... or a shapeshifter or...- ? Why should I trust you?"

Stiles looked down, swallowing tightly and taking a step closer

"My wiskey makes me a fool," he said quietly, biting his lip and taking a shaking breath

"The song Mom used to sing... Wiskey In The Jar, the Irish parts, that's what she said it meant,"

He was quiet for a moment, looking shocked and confused and... amazed... so amazed he looked like he was going to cry

"Stiles.... it's.... really...?"

"Me, yeah Dad it's... it's me," Stiles said quietly

His father said nothing for a moment, just ... standing still

Utterly, frighteningly still

And just as Stiles was about to say something, he gasped, his father having sprinted forward to wrap him in a tight, squeezing hug

He blinked, taking in a surprised breath before slowly leaning forward and hugging the other man back just as tightly

"Where have you been?" he breathed, sniffing and clearly trying not to break into tears

"Why did you leave? Stiles I ... I do-"

"It wasn't your fault," he promised, that was the one thing he had always been most concerned about, his father thinking that somehow it was his fault that Stiles had left

"Wah-"

"Dad it wasn't your fault I left, it was my fault, I was.... I was scared,"

"Scared? Stiles, scared of what? That isn't like you, why-"

"I need to show you something," he interrupted, swallowing tightly and holding his hand out, waiting for a few deceptively long seconds before a small flame developed in his palm

His father jumped, staring down at the fire in amazement and... something akin to horror....

"You're-"

"A witch, just like Mom, well.... like she was accused of being anyway,"

For a few quiet, tense moments, Stiles really thought that he was about to be pushed away, banished, maybe even turned in...

But then, seemingly out of the blue, he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him, squeezing him tightly as the older man let out a shaking breath

"Is that.... is that why you...?"

"No," he said quickly, pausing to rethink that answer

"Not... not directly, it's... it's complicated,"

"Then uncomplicate it," his father frowned, narrowing his eyes as he pulled back

"Dad-"

"Stiles, I want to know... NOW."

"They threatened you," he finally said, looking down and taking a shaking breath

"They said that if I didn't leave they would... torture you, maybe even kill you, and then they'd kill me just.... just like Mom,"

The older man was quiet for a moment, looking utterly... disturbed by his son's confession

"Who? Stiles... who threatened you? I'm the sheriff, they can't-"

"The mayor, and all of his lackies,"

So incidentally they COULD do it...

"Dad you wouldn't have been able to stop it, you couldn't, the law states that if anyone is suspected of being a wit-"

"I don't give a crap about the law Stiles! You're my SON, you come first, understand?"

Stiles nodded silently, sniffing and wiping at his eyes, he knew within reason that his father cared about him but.... but the law was the LAW and as the sheriff he didn't seem to care about anything more than he cared about that... so hearing those words... there was no way to describe it

"Stiles?"

The witch blinked, turning his attention back towards the door

"I hate to interrupt this touching reunion, but we have a bit of a problem,"

"Who's that?" the sheriff frowned, eyebrows pinching together as he glanced at the door

"That... that would be Derek," Stiles replied quickly, hurrying to answer the door and let his roommate in

"And Derek is...?"

Stiles thought about that for a moment, because actually... he didn't really know...

What WAS Derek?

He was a hell of alot more than just a roommate or a freind but... at the same time he couldn't say that they were more than that, lovers or anything of the sort, but that didn't mean Stiles hadn't thought about it before....

"Good," he finally concluded

"Derek is... Derek is good,"

"Uh-huh," the sheriff muttered after a breif pause

And Stiles wasn't sure if that meant he didn't believe that Derek was good... or if that meant he didn't believe that was all Derek was to Stiles.....

"You know that stereotype about angry mobs with pitchforks and torches?" Derek interrupted

"It's a stereotype for a reason, and that reason is right outside,"

Sure enough, not a moment after Derek had finished speaking, a loud pounding came from the door

"Open up! We know that you're in there Witch!"

"Stiles-" the sheriff tried to warn, putting a hand on his shoulder only to have it gently nocked away by his son

"It's ok Dad, it's... they're going to get in one way or another," he said with a loud sigh, a deep frown set on his face as he walked forward and swung the door open

"How did you know?" he asked calmly

"We had our suspicions when two masked, cloaked figures joined us suddenly that something wasn't right, and when we saw them make a b-line for the sheriff's house we figured there was only one reasonable assumption to make,"

"Right, because that's all you people do, make assumptions," Stiles huffed

"Say what you wish, it doesn't matter, the fact is we do not allow witches in this village, and more over, you broke a solemn oath you made that you would never return here, now it's time for you to pay the price,"

"I am not going to let you take my son... not now, not EVER again!" the sheriff snarled

"Oh sheriff, you don't have a choice,"

When Stiles looked up again, he felt his blood freeze cold, there in front of him was the lead hunter of the village- Gerard Argent, he hunted everything from animals to witches to werewolves, even hunting down normal human criminals...

Stiles DESPISED that man....

And chancing a look at Derek had him realizing that he was far from the only one, Derek looked utterly horrified, frozen in fear...

"You get the wolf," he said to the blonde woman sitting on the horse next to his own

"The witch is mine,"

Stiles was a fighter, that much was sure, but when it came to the possibility of his father's life being threatened- and now possibly Derek's too- he went from a slightly above average fighter... to an absolute _killer_

Derek growled lowly, his claws already out as he took a step forward, standing protectively in front of Stiles

"That's cute," the woman next to Gerard said with a slight laugh

She was blonde and blue-eyed and venomous, that much Stiles knew to be true, and he knew Derek must have had previous run-ins with her, given the fact that he was nearly shaking like a leaf the second he set eyes on her

The gun fired and Stiles raised his hand, the bullet stopping in mid-air

"Ohhh, clever aren't you? That trick might work on one bullet, but I'd like to see it happen again with twelve,"

Derek raced forward before Stiles could stop him, dodging bullets as the huntress shot at him and trying to get the best of her

Stiles cursed under his breath, flicking his wrist as flames appeared in his palm, but before he could throw them, he found torches beind tossed his way

At first he was just going to fight fire with fire, make the flames bigger, create a wall for them to escape back into the woods..

But then he saw the torches nearing closer and closer to Derek, and he suddenly froze...

Actually, HE didn't freeze, everything and everyone else did

Time it's self seemed to, as the torches being launched towards the wolf paused in mid-air, and everything around them seemed to as well

"What the hell...?"

"Your prayers have been answered,"

Stiles paused, turning around and staring in confusion at .. a woman

A beautifull woman with long strawberry blonde hair and peircing green eyes who seemed somewhat out of place in this world

"Are you.... are you a faery?" he breathed, shocked but also... amazed

Mostly amazed, if he was being honest

"I am," the faery confirmed, taking a step closer

"I am Lydia, banshee of the Martin house, and I have come to assist you,"

"Banshee? What is a banshee doing here?" Stiles asked in confusion

"Answering your prayers, as I said, we who live in the faery realm answer prayers in the Goddess' steed, we answer as many as we can hear, and we've heard your's Stiles, now I'm here to help,"

"If all that's true... then why didn't you help my mom before she died? She prayed to the Goddess all the time, I know she did," Stiles frowned skeptickally

He knew better than to trust strangers, even if those strangers were beautifull and had magic in their veins

"I'm afraid we heard her prayers too late, our system is not fool-proof Stiles, and everything that happened was very sudden, she spent most of her magic making offerings for YOUR safety, not her own, nor to assist in powering her magic, it's a deep regret that we couldn't get there in time, but we're here now, for you,"

"Here to do what? Get rid of the angry mob?" Stiles asked in sincere curiosity

Lydia gave him a small smirk of amusement, shaking her head

"To offer you an invitation to the faery realm, you're a witch Stiles, you're of magic origin, so is your wolf freind, it's commendable that so many magic folk try to make it in the human realm but it's also unwise, all things considered, humans aren't ready to accept us yet, and although I don't suggest that we go into hiding, I do believe there's value to be had in staying in our own realm when things are at their harshest,"

"What about my dad? He's human, I'm not about to just leave him here, they'll kill him, the-"

"Your father is welcome too, after all, he's of your blood, even if he isn't of magic blood himself, our realm is better for him anyway, surrounded by that much magic and in a place where time is so different, he won't age and die so quickly like he will here,"

That was a good point, and something that he had been worried about since he first came into his magic, that his father would die an early death in comparison to the long life Stiles would naturally live...

"We'll go," he said quietly, though firmly, staring up at the banshee for a long moment before glancing back at Derek and his father

He wasn't sure if just ... letting them be teleported to another realm without even telling them first was such a good idea....

"They'll be fine," Lydia promised quietly, holding her hand out for the witch

Stiles only hesitated for a few moments before finally placing his hand in her's, and the second their skin made contact, the witch blacked out

~+~

Stiles gasped, jerking up and feeling his heart pound in his chest as he looked around

The world around him was... beautifull.... it was stunning, utterly breath-taking, with feilds and trees so green and water and skies so blue that it almost looked unreal, and Stiles knew at once, for that reason, that they were no longer in the world they were used to

"Stiles?"

He looked over his shoulder, breathing a sigh of releif when he saw a familiar face

"Derek..."

"Morning," he teased gently

"Where's my dad?" Stiles asked immediately, his heart sinking and panic starting to flood through his veins at the realization that his father wasn't there with them

"Relax, he's with a faery named Melissa, she's showing him around," Derek explained

Stiles deflated, the panic flooding out of him just as suddenly as it had started up and allowing him to start settling his body against the new atmosphere once again

"How long was I sleeping?"

"Not very long, just a few hours, the banshee said you should be out for a wile so I suppose you're stronger than she thought you were,"

"Seems to be the trend, underestimating me that is..."

Wich Stiles probably could have shown to the hunters last night if he hadn't been so severely outnumbered and if Derek hadn't been the target of the attacks as well...

It didn't matter though, there were no hunters in the faery realm, they should be safe here... they shouldn't have to worry about that anymore

"Yes, I'm afraid even I've been guilty of that in the past," Derek confessed a bit shyly

"Are you still guilty of it now?" Stiles asked curiously, he wouldn't be surprised if Derek said yes, but he was certainly hoping he wouldn't

"No," the wolf decided, moving a little bit closer, "I think I've learned to never have any low expectations of you by now,"

The witch grinned, not sure if Derek was alluding to the same thing that he was, but he had to try, if there was one thing he had learned lately it was that sometimes even the most unexpected things will happen if you put a little bit of faith behind them

So without another word or another moment wasted he leaned in, wrapping an arm around Derek's neck and giving him a soft, gentle kiss

It felt electric, ecstatic, better than magic it's self, like all of the things he had been missing and all of the things he had wanted and when he felt Derek pull him closer, press more into him, he felt like things were finally complete

Like everything was the way it was supposed to be

And thus they lived happily ever after

The end


End file.
